Deflector fob hot water shower



June 2, 1942. R. HETHERINGTON 2,284,735

DEFLECTQR FOR HOT WATER SHOWER Filed Feb. 5, 1940' Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE Robert Hetherington, Sharon Hill, Pa.

Application February 5, 1940, Serial No. 317,273

12 Claims.

nozzle flow when the flow temperature becomes excessively high.

A further purpose is to diffuse the flow from a spray nozzle by an automatically set vane or throttle defiector to reduce the splash due to impact against the deflector, in protection of the shower user.

A further purpose is to hold an automaticallyoperated vane orthrottle deflector in retracted (inoperative) position by a thermostatically-controlled latch orcatch and to adjust the position .10 or other throttling device into the path of spray of the latch or catch in order to adjust the temperature at which the thermostatic element becomes effective to trip the vane or deflector.

A further purpose is to provide a throttle deflector for the spray water nozzle outlet having an interiorly flared edge on the spray nozzle side, spaced from the inner sides of the deflector to introduce a flow-retarding pool therein, and to disperse the spray nozzle flow before it gets to such space by a screen surface. v

A further purpose is to divert spray nozzle flow before the water gets too 'hot for safe use and to reduce the splashing of the flow, diverted by passing the water through a screen, deflecting it back through the samescreen before it is discharged. A further purpose is to divert flow of water from a shower head by a vane or deflector, using a pool within the vane to reduce splashing.

A further purpose is to use a resetting guide for the thermostatic control of a damper or throttling deflector as a buffer to stop the deflector movement.

A further purpose is to adjust the temperature at which the deflector is tripped by lateral adjustment of latch or catch used also as a guide.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

My invention relates not only to the mechanism involved but to the processes or methods by which the mechanism operates.

Figure 3 is a section taken upon line, 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mechanism shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation and Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective of a mount fora modified form, the latter showing also a modified deflector. Both lack the automatic control.

Figure 7 is a side elevation applying the invention to an overhead shower. 7

In the drawing similar numerals indicate like parts.

The conventional spray nozzle shower head is shown at [0 with openings II through'which the shower is projected in a spray. Wings l2 permit turning of the interior l3 of the head to adj st the fiow,a feature common to such heads.

The temperature of the water normally is controlled by automatic devices not shown and/or by hand valves operated by the user. The automatic devices are not always reliable and various causes result in excessively high temperature of flow. Retarded supply of hot water leads the user to think that he has not turned it on enoughv and cause him tomiscalculate the proportion of the hot'water to the cold,withthe result that there is danger of scalding the user. My invention is intended in such cases automatically to throttle the flow of mixed hot and cold water by suitable means interposed within the path of flow, preferably reducing the amount of splashing from the impact of the flow against the throttling deflector used, as a further protection to the user.

I mount my throttling deflector l4 so as to move from an inoperative position to an operative position when tripped or released by a thermostatically controlled latch or catch. In

T the preferred form I swing it about a bearing [5 mounted upon a bracket l6 which conveniently may be attached to the shower head as a strap I1 tightened about the head by a screw [8. In Figures 5 and 6 a ring I9 is spun about the edge 20 of a slightly different head 10'. To this ring is soldered and screwed a curved bracket 2|. In either event the bracket rigidly supports a pin or pintle 22 or other part forming one member of the bearing shown as a conventional bearing. One convenient form holds a pin in the end of the bracket and the pin is surrounded by a sleeve 23 fastened by 24 to the body of the vane,

55 throttler deflector, shield or guard which performs the throttling function. The sleeve is held from accidental removal in any suitable way.

The throttler deflector, vane, shield or guard is of general shallow pan shape set on edge and having the outside of the transverse wall 25 corresponding to the bottom of the pan toward the shower user. Rearwardly directed side walls 26 carry inwardly turned trapping edges 2?. These edges are shown as diagonal. This though desirable is not necessary. The trapping edges preferably do not follow the side walls closely but diverge from them to leave a space 28 within which the spray nozzle discharge forms an an nular pool, with the purpose and intent that this pool shall slow down outlet from the pan interior of water which has entered it from the spray nozzle head, avoiding splashing through this space such as might take place if the space were not water filled, and retarding the flow of the discharging water.

The vane, shield, guard or other throttler deflector carries dispersion means, most desirably in the form of a screen 29 which lies between the shower head and the inner space 30 of the pan. As shown the outer edges 3! of the screen engage the rear or inside face of this wall 25 and the rear face of the screen near its periphery engages the edges 21 of the wall. This is a mechanical means of conveniently and cheaply mounting the screen so that the central part of the screen shall be spaced from the inner face (rearward face) of the wall 25.

As previously described the vane, shield or guard swings across the path of flow into and out of the said path, throttling the flow when in the path of this flow and swinging to a position wholly outside of the path of flow in its inoperative position. The vane, shield or guard is resiliently urged toward this position in the path of water flow by a spiral (torsional) spring 32 I anchored at one end 33 against any suitable part of the bracket and at the other end 34 anchored against the sleeve or any connected part which swings with the deflector and by which the swinging of the deflector shield or guard may be made effective.

As so far described no limit is placed upon the moving, preferably swinging, range of the vane, shield or guard, the limits of movement being brought about through mechanism connected with a thermostatic element.

Within the path of flow from the shower head is mounted any suitable thermostatic element 35, here shown as a bi-metal U having arms 35 and 31 and a bend 38. It is secured at its inner end at 39 to the bracket in any suitable manner and at its outer end 40 carries latch mechanism by which the vane, shield or guard may be held in its inoperative position when the flow temperature is moderate and may be released by movement of the outer end 40 toward the inner end when the temperature is excessively high.

The outer arm of the thermostat carries a spring latch and resetting guide 4| having a guiding face 42 and a transversely turned bufler shoulder end 43. Some part of the mechanism movable with the outer arm, preferably this buffer end normally is engaged by a keeper 44 carried by the vane. When the water gets too hot the supporting terminal moves to release the keeper so as to allow movement of the part toward throttling position. The extent of the latch shoulder projection to the right in Figure 2 and the corresponding extent of depth of en- "gagement of the shoulder within the path of movement of the keeper when the vane, shield or guard shifts to operative position determine the extent of movement of the outer bar of the thermostatic element required to release the vane, shield or guard and hence determine the temperature of the water at which the thermostatic element becomes operative.

The position of the latch, i. e. the amount of extension to the right, is adjustable, here by a screw 45 mounted in the end 46 of the bar and capable of being locked therein by nuts 41 and 48.

The screw is adjusted by rotation of the head 69 made more convenient by a pin 50 in the head. A spring 5| may be used to assist the thread-locking mechanism in holding against slipping of the adjustment and a guard 52 partly surrounds the outer bar and limits the outer movement of the bar so that the extent of projection to the right of the outer latch end may definitely and exactly determine the extent or range of engagement of the latch (preferably the shoulder of the latch) with the keeper.

The guiding surface of the latch conveniently engages the edge 53 of the keeper during resetting swinging movement of the vane, shield or guard and the transversely turned spring bufier end of the resetting guide affords a resilient stop to the swinging movement toward operative position of the vane, shield or guard. At the limit of this movement the buffer is engaged by a stop plate 54 upon any suitable part of the vane, shield or guard.

In order to provide convenient release of the latch from its engaging keeper so that the user may be able to trip the vane, shield or guard at any desired time to protect against either excessively hot or excessively cold water flow an arm 55 is provided terminating in a finger button 56.

The U-shaped end of the thermostat may be supported against excessive movement by a strap 51 loosely surrounding or permanently attached to the thermostat, as desired, and supported from the bracket.

My device ma be fastened permanently to a shower head or may be merely attached thereto.

It will be evident that the position of the handoperated release button 56 is a matter of convenience and that it will be placed wherever it may be most conveniently reached by the user. In Figures 1 and 2 an additional button 56 is shown which is mounted upon the spring near the middle of the outer thermostat bar.

In all of the figures, in use the interior space of the vane, shield or guard will be filled or nearly filled with water which will be in movement, passing through the screen at one part of the screen, being reversed in direction by the transverse wall 25, or by the water whichis within the space and coming out through the screen at another part of th screen surface. The pool of water within the flange wall 21 also tends to deaden the splash from the water flow.

In Figure 6 a bar 58, which is approximately horizontal when the vane, shield or bar is in operative position, is shown dividing the interior space 30' into two compartments 59 and 60, the purpose being that water additionally shall be trapped within the space by the position of the bar. This construction may be used with or without the dispersing screen.

In Figure '7 a deflector is shown with an overhead shower. In order to guide the flow from the nozzle 10 as it overflows the deflector M a spout BI is provided connecting with the deflector bodyby opening 62. This turns the discharge away from the user in any selected direction.

.The resetting guide carrying the buffer end 48 has a spring set toward the left in Figure 1 in order that it may at alltimes press against the adjusting screw, avoiding danger of the end 'shoulder-whether it be a buffer spring end or v not-being held within the keeper, i. e., not'following the left-wise movement of the thermostatic element, preventing release of the vane, shield or guardwhen the thermostatic element moves this member to the left.

Since the vane, shield or guard is spring set to move into operative position it makes little difference whether it lies normally to one side or other, above or below thehead whose flow it is to interrupt. In the position shown it is located above thehead offering some advantage in adding gravity to the spring pull tending to bring it tooperative position.

Though the spray head will normally be direct ed so as to cause flow outwardly and downwardly and not directly outwardly, neither this fact nor the extent of angular tilt which may be given the flow makes any difference in the principle of operation of the construction;

It will be evident that the finger-operated release means for the deflector affords a quick and effective separate operating mechanism capable of use even without a thermostatic element for protecting against excessive temperature be it hot or cold and which may be used as the onlyand independent-control or as supplemental to thermostat control of which the illustration shows one form.

It should be noted that the direction of water flow in Figure 2 for example is toward the right so that the arm 36 lies between the shower head and the arm 3'! which latter holds the latch or catch by which support of the deflector is effected. The arm 36 is used to shield the arm 31 from the water flow. It is usefulfor this purpose even though the spring and guide is wider than the arm 36, because of the diversion of the water caused by arm 36. If arm 31 were not shielded there would be a pressure tending to prevent release which would be objectionable in itself and also because it will be variant depending upon the extent of opening of the inlet valve 7.

or pressure of water leaving the shower head.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention Without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A throttling deflector for shower head water flow comprising a shallow pan adapted to have its open face disposed toward the shower head and .5:

having a screen across the open face spaced from the closed face.'

2. A throttling deflector for shower head water flow comprising a shallow pan adapted to have its open face disposedtoward the shower head, having a screen across the open face spaced from the closed face andhaving an annular interior flange about the outer part of the flange;

3. A throttling deflector for shower head water flow comprising a shallow pan having bottom and rear side walls and a flange extending diagonally inward from the outer edges of the rear'side walls of the deflector and a dispersing screen having its outer edges engaging the bottom walls of the deflector and intermediate rear screen surfaces engaging the inner edges of the flange.

l. A deflector for the water flow from a shower head comprising a hollow shallow deflector body having one face open and adapted to be disposed toward the shower head, an interior flange about the open face forming an annular pocket to form a water pool, means for mounting said deflector to move into and out of operative position, a spring tending to press the deflector into operative position thermostatically operated means for holding the deflector in inoperative position normally and for tripping it when the temperature of the water becomes excessively warm.

5. A pivoted throttling deflector for shower heads, a U-shaped thermostatic control inthe path of water flow from a shower'head, a spring carried by one arm of the U comprising a resetting guide, tending to move toward that arm, engaging the deflector and holding the deflector normally in inoperative position, and an adjusting'screw for adjusting the position of the resetting guide with respect to said arm.

6. A pivoted throttling deflector for shower heads, a Ll-shaped thermostatic control in the path of water flow from the head, a buffer spring carried by one arm of the U and tending to move toward said arm, also forming a catch and a' resetting guide, engaging the deflector during resetting so that the catch is directed into engaging position to hold the deflector in inoperative position, an adjusting scnew for adjusting the position of the buffer spring and a stop on the deflector engaging the buffer spring to limit movement of the deflector into operative posi tion.

7. In a throttle deflector for diverting and reducing speed of flow of water from a shower head, a deflector body adapted to go into and out of the path of water flow from a showerv head, a pivotal support for said body, spring means for swinging the body on its pivot, a thermostatic element placed in the path of flow of the water between the head and the deflector, a support for holding the deflector in position out of the path of water flow, carried by the thermostatic element and tripped by movement of the thermostatic element, means for adjusting the position of the support with respect to the thermostatic element to vary the temperature at which the deflector is' tripped and a stop engaged by the deflector to limit the movement of the deflector across the including a spring tendingto press out of the path of movement of the deflector and a screw adjustment for the connections for varying the position of the spring and a keeper adapted to be engaged by the connections to varying lateral extents according to the temperature control position of the thermostatic element.

9. In a throttle deflector for diverting and reducing speed of flow of water flow from a shower head, a bracket adapted to be mounted upon the shower head, a thermostatic element carried by the head, having arms and lying within the path of flow of the'shower water, a spring carried by one arm of the thermostatic element, extending laterally from said thermostat arm and turned toward the thermostat at one end of the spring, a screw passing through said thermostat arm engaging said spring and determining the extent of lateral offset of said spring for any given thermostat arm position, a swinging throttle deflector, a keeper on said deflector engaging said spring at the end in one position of the thermostatic element and released by movement of the thermostatic element and a stop carried by the deflector and engaging the end of the spring in a second deflector position.

10. A deflector for the water flow from a shower head comprising a deflector body, a support for the body permitting movement of the body into and out of the path of water flow, a spring urging the body into operative position to deflect the water and a latch for the body supporting it in inoperative position and springpressed toward the user in holding position and accessible for touch-operated release of the deflector by movement away from the user whereby the user can control against either excessively hot or excessively cold water by pushing the support away from him.

11. A deflector for water flow from a shower head movable into and out of deflecting position and normally resiliently pressed toward deflecting position, a support for said deflector mounted on the head and adapted to hold the deflector in inoperative position and movable for release away from the user and a touch-operated lever connected with the support and accessible for engagement by the user, whereby the user can operate the release by movement away from him and free the deflector for automatic movement into the path of the shower flow.

12. A throttling deflector for shower head water flow, comprising a deflector body mounted to move into and out of path of water flow, and resiliently pressed toward deflecting position, and a spring catch to hold said deflector in inoperative position, normally pressed toward the user and accessible by the user for pressure movement to release the spring catch.

ROBERT HETHERING'ION. 

